Apple Expands Local Production; Assembles Entire iPhone 16 Series In India

Strengthening local production, Apple has begun assembling the entire iPhone 16 series, including the newly launched iPhone 16e, in India for both domestic sales and exports, industry experts confirmed on Thursday.

Equipped with an A18 chip, extended battery life, Apple Intelligence, and a 48MP 2-in-1 camera system, the latest iPhone model is being manufactured for the Indian market as well as select international regions.

Industry experts emphasized that the iPhone 16e is different from the iPhone SE4 and urged against comparing the two.

The iPhone SE was initially a strategic addition to Apple’s portfolio, but market trends have since evolved.

Neil Shah, Partner and Co-Founder at Counterpoint Research stated, “Essentially, Apple retired the SE lineup and extended the iPhone 16 lineup with a new entry point. iPhone SE was no longer adding any value to consumers, developers or Apple.”

Originally marketed as a ‘Special Edition’ device with a compact, nostalgic design, the iPhone SE priced around $400.

However, its popularity declined sharply, with its share in total iPhone sales dropping from 16% at its peak to just 1% last year.

Shah pointed out that consumers today favor larger screens, superior cameras, and faster processors over compact designs.

“With all this background, what Apple did was to extend the 16 series with a newer ‘base version’ of iPhone 16 and now retired SE,” he further added.

According to industry analysts, this move streamlines Apple’s lineup, reducing design fragmentation while maintaining a premium user experience.

Apple has set the iPhone 16e price at $599 in the US and Rs 59,999 in India.

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